I had the opportunity to see the documentary “Running The Sahara” last night.  It was an expedition consisting of three men who set out to RUN across the 4,00+ miles of the Sahara desert.  The film was narrated by Academy Award-winner Matt Damon and directed by Academy Award-winner James Moll. A small film crew tracked the runners across the desert, capturing their incredible journey on camera, recording this landmark moment in athleticism, in humanitarianism, and in history.

The expedition began in November of 2006 with runners Charlie Engle (USA), Ray Zahab(Canada) and Kevin Lin(Taiwan) embarking on what most people called impossible… running across the Sahara Desert.  I have to support that casual statement by making sure I mention that the will not stop running to soak up some poolside fun and shop in the markets along the way.  They set-out on an estimated 80-day journey across over 4,00o miles and through 6 countries: Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Libya, and Egypt.  Just a reference, that’s approximately 165 marathons.

As a VERY recreational runner, this movie was truly inspiring.  I would have to say that it is the “Rocky” for runners.  The simple thought of what these 3 men had to endure to make this dream a reality seemed to deafen any doubts of whether I can go that extra mile next Saturday.  The underlying story (for me) was the background history of these three runners.  Although the webiste doesn’t really get into detail http://www.runningthesahara.com/bios.html , what shocked me was that Canadian runner, Ray Zahab had only been running for 2 years prior to this.  He was a former party-animal and drug user who “woke-up one day and started to run”.  I know it sounds a bit Forrest Gump, but it’s true.  I put my sneakers on after watching the movie and set-out for a run despite my “pains” from the previous days run.

I highly suggest this for anyone, whether you run or not.  The scenery and wonderful people of the 6 countries they ran through were the supporting cast!  There was also a great philanthropic message as well that deals with bringing clean drinking water to these countries.  I think you’ll be hearing a lot more about http://www.h2oafrica.org/ from me as the season unfolds!

Enjoy the trailer!